Articles written by Mark de Jong

What is Helium

About me - Mark de Jong

Im not relativistic enough to be a universalist, but as a corrolary, Im also not ignorant enough to assume that one belief system contains all truth. What makes sense to me is to live like a rastafarian-entheogenic, veggetarian, and as close to nature as possible-and

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Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq Debate on the war in Iraq: 5 of 123
Over the past year, ninety-four Iraqi civilians have been dying every day, and one hundred or so more get wounded every day. In recent weeks sixty-five university students were killed in a US bombing in Baghdad. The problem is that news like this is no longer suprising. In spite of numb complacency, it is useful to take a loo... More..
Entertainment > Music Business Music file-sharing: An artist's perspective: 1 of 15
Grand Theft Audio Is the age of digital music going to single-handedly topple the music industry? Should art be free? Is free music ethically acceptable? In his article "Music for Nothing," Jesse Walker addresses the related issues of music downloading and music piracy, and he discusses the conflict surrounding them. He asser... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq Analyzing the war on Iraq: Justified or not: 19 of 159
The historical rundown on an unjust war: Over the past year, ninety-four Iraqi civilians have been dying every day, and one hundred or so more get wounded every day. In recent weeks sixty-five university students were killed in a US bombing in Baghdad. The problem is that news like this is no longer suprising. In spite of nu... More..
Entertainment > Music (Other) What is the best song of all time?: 5 of 35
For me, the best song of all time would have to be the song which has had the most profound impact on my life. For that reason, I would have to say "Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley and the Wailers takes the cake. This summer, as every summer in Chicago, I passed the time by attending copious amounts of concerts. There was on... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Party Politics & Ideology Why democracy is or isn't the best method for every country: 8 of 48
To assess this question, you must first ask if it is even possible for a country to implement democracy in the first place. The answer to that question is no.In the US we are quick to point out the failures, and unfortunate consequences of communist regimes, but slow to acknowledge how enticing the ideas of Karl Marx look on ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Art Appreciation Art: A waste of time or meaningful expression?: 7 of 39
Words.This sentence is my attempt at relaying what is actually being processed in my mind. We call this thought. The moment it is verbalized, it is diminished; lost in translation. The moment it is read, it is further diminished by the comprehension of the reader, who's job is to ascertain the meanings of these words, and ass... More..
Arts & Humanities > Meaning of Life Contemplating the purpose of life: 29 of 148
What is anything in and of itself? Intrinsically can anything have meaning? If not, then from what device do we ascribe meaning? Is everything thus relative, and subjective? Whose version of truth is true? Mine of course. Or is it yours? Do any two people recognize the same world? Either God created man, or man created God; e... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Drug Laws & Prevention Mexico just legalized small amounts of marijuana: 4 of 17
This news is a small step that illustrates a progressive struggle that governments are now beginning to face. Drugs (if one can even define what a drug is) have been illegal for a very short period of time, historically speaking. What governments are now forced to confront is the notion of cognitive liberty. Should we allow p... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Buddhism On believing in karma: 17 of 56
Karma, as it occurs to me, can be seen in one of two different lights. The first is the mystic, religious side, where we attribute a spiritual element to the reciprocation of a type of interraction that a person has with the world. The second is a more epistomolgical approach, in which one can examine things as they appear t... More..
Entertainment > Music Genres, Trends & Scenes 20th century developments in western music: 4 of 13
Through the 18th and 19th centuries, Bach's Baroque era gave way to Mozart and Beethoven's Classical period, which transitioned into the Romantic period of Chopin and Mendelssohn, which began to fade around the turn of the 20th century.At this point, Western music would never again be dominated by one prevailing genre. The co... More..